They Abandoned and Shunned Us: Institutional Betrayal Following Pastor Sexual Exploitation of Adults in Australian Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches

Abstract

This article examines the institutional dynamics following sexual violence perpetrated by pastors against adult congregation members, focusing on the lived experiences of institutional betrayal, moral injury and post-abuse coercive control. Drawing on data from 33 adult victim-survivors of pastor sexual exploitation within Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian communities in Australia, this study explores how institutional responses frequently compound the trauma of sexual violence, eroding survivors’ spiritual, emotional, social and moral foundations. Rather than focusing on survivor safety and care, churches often prioritised the protection of the pastor and the preservation of their institutional reputation. Survivors described being silenced, blamed, ostracised and spiritually manipulated through distorted theological teachings, resulting in moral injury characterised by violations of conscience, trust and meaning. Institutional and pastoral responses mirrored patterns of coercive control commonly identified in domestic violence contexts, including spiritual gaslighting, reputational harm and character attacks. This article argues that institutional betrayal constitutes a central harm in cases of clergy-perpetrated sexual violence and advocates for survivor-centred, trauma-informed responses, together with structural and legal reforms to recognise and address coercive control within religious institutional contexts.